Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen TV Shows That Should Be on DVD

1…. Zorro (1990s version):

The perfect Zorro. Duncan Regehr is simply the best. The challenge with Zorro is to portray a rugged and courageous character, with a degree of sophistication from 19th century European education. Regehr’s voice, style, and presence make for a truly memorable performance. The show is bolstered by great music that takes you back to Spanish Colonial Los Angeles and a great supporting cast. You can’t see the New World Zorro (originally a Family Channel production) in the United States, only in Canada and a few European countries. If you’re lucky, you might get hold of one of two VHS movies released in the United States that mark the beginning and end of the series. Come on, give me a break.

2…. Dragnet (1950s version)

Don’t get me a started about Universal’s decision to release Season 1 of the 1960s Dragnet (free of pesky extra features) and then hold the last three great seasons back. The only bright side of that is the ’60s Dragnet can be seen on TV’s “Sleuth Channel.” The truly awful mothballing has occurred with the 1950s Dragnet. The 1950s Dragnet totally revolutionized crime dramas. It’s a piece of TV history. All we’ve been left with are chunks that can be gleaned from the Dollar bin at various Wal-Marts across America. About 30 episodes accidentally lapsed into the public domain. As far as I know, the rest are in some NBC vault along with Bigfoot, Elvis, and the Ark of the Covenant. I mean, come on.

3….Batman (1960s version)

No, I’m not going to say Adam West was the perfect Batman. The ’60s show’s interpretation of the Dark Knight (if you can even call Adam West that) has been the bane of comic fans’ existence. Kevin Conroy of the Animated Series made a far better Batman. Still, as much as some might want to avoid it, Adam West’s Batman is part of our country’s history. Who could forget the Batpoles, Robin (played by Burt Ward) constantly intoning, “Holy this” and “Holy that…,” the Batmobile, and more. Maybe, Jack Nicholson’s joker could kill Caesar Romero’s in a New York minute, but come on let’s get it together. From what I gather the shows are being kept off DVD due to a contractual dispute involving Fox, Warner Brothers, and DC Comics. There’s more than enough money for everyone, guys.

4…Bonanza is available on cheap public domain disks (containing a few episodes) in the United States despite an amazing 14 year run, while in Germany they’ve gotten up to Season 5 already. Any explanation for this?

5…Early Edition:

Kyle Chandler plays Gary Hobson, the man who gets tomorrow’s paper today and uses it to help people. It was a great prime time sci-fi show. The show, like Zorro, is not aired in the United States, but can be watched in Estonia of all places.

6…Beverly Hillbillies:

Another TV classic limited to cheap box sets of public domain episodes.

7…Now and Again:

A great well-written Drama that was canceled after one season. Please put it in a box set for fans to take home.

8…Family Matters:

Yes, they got kind of tired toward the end, but eight years is an incredible run to not only be shorted of a series finale, but not even to have a DVD box set.

9…Kids Say the Darnedst Things

Bill Cosby’s unique charm with kids shined through during his run on CBS in the late ’90s as he provided family fun and look at life through a kid’s eye.

10…Promised Land

A 1990s TV show about a Christian family traveling America, with a lot of patriotism and love of God packed in. There was even a home schooling element, but the show seemed almost apologetic about that. Still, you take what you can get. Now, moving on to three shows I’d like to see more of…

11) Dragnet 1960s (the rest of the Series):

See #2. Come on, Universal, cough ‘em up.

12…Touched by An Angel

What’s all this Season 3, Volume 1 stuff? And 2 and now the show’s stuck on Season 4, Volume 1. Come on, CBS/Paramount.

13…Green Acres

This show got stuck in the middle of Season 3, like a little red wagon going up a dirty hill on a March day. In other words, can we please have the rest of the show? Thanks.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Cozy Reader

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)